Automatic warehousing-machine.



No. 746,247. I PATENTED DEG. a, 1903.

R. BAGGALEY.

AUTOMATIC WAREHOUSING MACHINE. I

' APPL'IQATION FILED MAR. 28, 1903.]

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

no MODEL.

w r mssssg' mvsmon PATENTED DEC. 8, 1903.

a SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N NN v 7 RN. N. mm. u H w .vw. W 1 i u -R. BAGGALBY. AUTOMATICWARBHOUSING MACHINE.

' APPLICATION .I'iLBD MAR. 28, 1903.

I0 MODEL.

No. 746,247. PATENTED DEC; 8} 1903.

R. BAGGALBY. 7

AUTOMATIC WAREHOUSING MACHINE.

UNITED STATES.

Patented December 8, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

RALPH BAGGALEY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC WAREHOUSING-MACHINE. I

SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 74 6,247, datedDecember 03- Application filed March 28. 1903. Serial No.1149,986. (Nomodel.) I

have invented a new and useful Automatic Warehousing-Machine, of whichthe following is afull, clear, and exact description, reference beingbad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in

' which Figure 1 is a side elevation of apparatus. coustructedinaccordance with myinvention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, on a larger scale, showing the receiving anddelivering mechanism. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section showing one of theracks. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the delivery end. Fig. 5 is across-section on the line V V of Fig.6, showing the delivcry-gates. Fig.6 is an end elevation of the receiving end of the apparatus. Fig. 7 is adetail .side elevation thereof. are perspective detail views of parts ofthe delivery mechanism.

Myinvention has been designed, primarily, to provide means for storingand delivering pigs of copper; but it is capable of use with merchandiseof other kinds. The high price of labor in localities in whichcopper-smelters are generally situated renders storing and shipping ofthe copper a very considerable item of-the expense, and it isthe'purpose of my invention to reduce this expense by substitutingefficient automatic machinery in place of the manual labor heretoforerequired.

The apparatus shown in the drawings is designed for use with cylindricalpigs, such as are commonly used for the manufacture of wire, which byreason oftheir shape are adapted to roll by gravity along the racks onwhich they are stored. o

The apparatus comprises a series of racks .2 2, preferably arranged withtheir receiving Eachi rack is inclined sufficiently to cause the de-,scent of the cylindrical pigs, and each is pref ends in substantiallythe same plane.

erably constituted of two parallel rails on which the pigs rest andrails or guides by which they are guided in their travel down the rack.

The apparatus is constructed with mechan-;

ically-acting storing mechanism and delivery mechanism. The storingmechanism consists of an endless chain 3, carrying-swinging cra- Figs. 8and 9' 'by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

' vated position.

; tiles 4. and arranged to travel around sp rocket wheels 5 5. The pigsof copper are delivered by achute 6 upon a stop 7,-from which they arepicked one by one by the ascending series of cradles and are carried upover the uppersprocket-wheel' 5 and thence to the receivers, which causethe pigs to roll fromthe cradles onto the racks. The preferred form ofthe receivers is shown in detail in Figs. 2 and 3. They consist ofpivoted arms 8, which when in receiving position extend outwardly fromthe end of the rack into the path of the cradles 4, as shown at 8 inFig. 2, so that as the cradles descend the pigs will beengaged by thearms 8 and will roll down the rack. Mechanism is employed forautomatically withdrawing the arms 8 from receiving position as, soon asthe rack with which the arms are associated becomes fully charged with.pigs. For this purpose I prefor to set below each rack a ratchet-wheel9, whose pawl 10 is operated by an arm 11, which projects through therack into the path of the pigs and is moved by each pig as it passes.This ratchetoperates a projection 9, which at the end of each completerevolution engages a lever 12 and moves its outer end downwardly againstthe tension of a spring 13. a cam to retract fromthe path of the cradles4 a spring-actuated pin 14.,sliding longitudinally in a case 15, whichisrpivoted at 16 and has an arm 17, provided at the end with anantifriction-roller l8.-

gaged from'the pin 1-1, which will then spring forwardinto the path ofthe chain 3, as shown The chain will then engagethe pin 14 and turn iton the pivot 16, thus causing the antifriction-roller 18 to bear againstthe arm Sand to raise it into elevated position out of the path ofthecradles. It remains in this position until the rack is emptied of pigs,when by an operation described below the delivery of the last pig willmove lengthwise a rod 19, which releases a catch 20, by which thejarmsare held. in ele- When the catch 20 is released, the weight of thearmsS-will cause them to drop into'their extended position,

thus elevating the pin 14, and thespring 13 by The outer end-of thelever 12 serves as I When the lever 12 is tripped by the pin 11, its endwill be disenraising the lever 12 will retract thepin 14 out of the pathof the chain and bring the parts into the position shown at 8 in Fig. 2.

The delivery mechanism at the lower end of the racks comprises,preferably, a ratchetwheel 21, set under each rack, whose pawl 22 isoperated by an arm 23, which projects into the path of the pigs as theyleave the rack and is moved by each passing pig. The ratchet-wheel21,1ike the ratchet-wheel 9,is arranged to be moved one completerevolution by the passage ofa sufficient number of pigs to fill therack, and when it has made a complete revolution a pin 24 thereonengages a spring-retracted arm 25 on a sleeve 26, which has a projectingarm 27, adapted to engage a locking-pawl 28, depending from a bracket29, secured to the frame of the rack. Arms 30 at the delivery end of therack are also pivoted in the bracket 29, and when the pin 24: engagesthe arm 25 this arm is depressed and the end of the arm 27 is movedoutwardly. This movement forces the locking-pawl 28 out of engagementwith the notch 31 in the hand-lever 32. This lever 32 is also providedwith an arm 33, which is secured to a sliding gate 3% by a linkconnection 35. When the locking-pawl 28 is disengaged from the notch 31,the weight of the gate 34 is sufficient to bring the lever 32 into anupright position, as shown in full lines in Fig. 2, and at the same time the extensions 34 engage the arms 30 of the arms 30 as the gate islowered. This causes the arms 30 to assume an elevated position, asshown in full lines in Fig. 2. On the opposite end of the shaft 21'which carries the ratchet-wheel 22 is a Wheel or arm 37, having a pin38, which is so located that it acts simultaneously with the pin 2t uponan arm 39, secured to a sleeve 40 upon the opposite end of the shaftwhich carries the sleeve 26 and the arms 25 and 27. To the sleeve 40 issecured a short arm 41, to which the rod 19 is secured, and as the pin38 depresses the arm 39 the rod 19 is actuated and the catch 20 isreleased from the notch in the segment &2, by which the arm 8 is held inits raised position. Upon the shaft 25, to which the lever 32is'secured, an arm 33 is mounted and is connected by a link connection35 with the gate 34. In order to lower the arms 30 at any desired pointin the rack, the operator pulls the lever 32 downwardly until thelocking-pawl 28 enters the notch 31 in the lever 32. The shaft 25, towhich the lever 32 is rigidly secured, rocks in its bearing 29, and thearms 33 and 33, which are secured to said shaft and to the sliding gate,raise the gate as the lever is depressed and permit the arms 30 to fallby gravity into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 as thesliding gate is raised. The pigs will then roll forward and over thearms 30, upon which a portion of them will rest, the outermost one beingheld by a suitable stop formed by the frame 43 in a position to beengaged by the bracket 44.- of the elevator at the discharging end ofthe racks. The pigs are then delivered at a higher level, from whichthey go to the loading-machine.

Within the scope of my invention as defined in the claims the apparatusmay be modified in form and construction, since What I claim is 1.Storing apparatus comprising a series of racks down which the articlecan travel, a conveyer adapted to travel along the receiving ends of theracks, receivers adapted to be projected from the racks into the path ofthe conveyer, a second conveyer at the delivery end of the racks, andarms adapted to be projected from the delivery end of the racks into thepath of the second conveyer;-substantially as described.

2. Storing apparatus comprising a series of racks superposed one abovethe other and having their receiving ends substantially in the sameplane, a con veyer adapted to travel along the receiving ends of theracks, and receivers adapted to be projected from the ends of the racksinto the path of the conveyer; substantially as described.

3. Storing apparatus comprising a series of inclined racks down whichthe articles can roll, a conveyer adapted to travel along the receivingends of the racks, receivers adapted to be projected from the racks intothe path of the conveyer, and automatic mechanism adapted to move thesame out of the path of the conveyer when a rack has received itscomplement of articles; substantially as described.

4. Storing apparatus comprising a series of inclined racks down whichthe articles can roll, a conveyer adapted to travel along the receivingends of the racks, receivers adapted to be projected from the racks intothe path of the conveyer, delivery mechanism for the racks, and meansoperated by said delivery mechanism and adapted to replace saidreceivers into the path of the conveyer when a given number of articleshave been discharged; substantially as described.

5. Storing apparatus comprising a series of racks, delivery-arms at theends thereof, and automatic means operated by the passing articles andadapted to move said arms out of delivering position when a propernumber of articles have been delivered; substantially as described.

6. Storing apparatus comprising a series of racks, delivery-arms at theends thereof, and automatic means operated by the passing articles andadapted to move said arms out of delivering position when a propernumber of articles have been delivered, said means consisting of a gateand tripping mechanism; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

RALPH BAGGALEY.

Witnesses:

GEO. B. BLEMING, J OI-IN MILLER.

